...happy, happy, joy, joy

   

Happy is having someone buy a Spirit Figure….a call from Timberline saying, “one of your dolls just sold to a….”  Joy is when I am actually part of the experience…when I am there to connect with the person who has connected to one of my figures…..

Joy and happiness are different.

Happy can be faked….I often put on a happy face to go out into the world…and I suppose that is a good and acceptable thing to do.  Art shows and social events are an example of putting on a happy face.  Art shows can be hard, and I’m basically a hermit so social events can leave me drained.  But I’ve also discovered a time with my happy face on can lead to happy.  A rewarding experience…faking it can lead to real moments of happiness.

But joy, joy is different. For me it is a full body thing.
Not too very long ago I visited Yosemite Park….We went to Glacier Point….maybe you’ve been there?  

It is one of those places that brings me to tears, makes me shake a little…
I can feel Spirit from my nose to my toes.  
It brings me to a place of joy even as it makes me feel so small, insignificant in my petty worries and fears,moments of loneliness….it is a release.  
And somehow it is a filling up with love...joy…an invisible connection to all that is….A recognition that we are all in this together….humans seeking connection…it is connection that brings me joy.  

Joy is the connections with others on this crazy ride..
It is when the shield between us comes down.  


Isn't it what we are all seeking, rather or not we put it into words?  
Those moments when we look into each others eyes and see that they really see us?  And we can see them?  When the soul shines through and you know you are not alone.  When you feel that trust and love of knowing we have shared experiences of life and love.  When you know for however briefly that they have experienced the same hopes, dreams and fears, joy and sadness?  The times when we know we are more alike than separate?
When you feel each others hearts?
Trust and believe.
See their truth.

Lately I’ve been doing a little experiment…I’ve been looking into peoples eyes….when I walk down the street I try to make eye contact….it’s been interesting….Some people will look away quickly…if feels almost fearful.  Some people will look but not acknowledge any change…but then there are those people who will nod or smile and there is that momentary connect…’hey, fellow human, what a journey, huh?’….
it is a little moment of joy that almost makes me skip…

And this is part of the experiment too…I’ve started to really look at those people who serve me when I go about my day.  The ones that are often invisible to me.....he cashiers and waitresses, the clerks and the service people…I've been looking in their eyes and really asking, “How are you today?”  
It’s leading to some really interesting conversations…people want to share....and I'm finding some of these people aren't at all who I thought they were.

You might ask why this experiment?  Well it is interesting, and for someone as curious about so much it engages me.  
But on a bigger scale it is connection that I see so absent in the world.  
In my view we have become a world of US and Them and until this changes there will be no peace on earth….I need to start seeing the humanity in others…having those heart to heart, eye to eye moments more often…
it brings joy. little joys can fill me up....Make it easier to find my happy face.